Mar 10, 2025, RTE: Donegal parents call for additional special school places
Parents in Co Donegal are urging the Department of Education to provide additional special school spaces for their children who have severe and profound learning disabilities.
At least nine families across Donegal received notification that they were unsuccessful in getting a place for their children in Little Angels Special School in Letterkenny next September, even though the school is due to move into a new purpose-built building.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin admitted in the Dáil last week that it seems that the new school is already at capacity after the issue was raised by Donegal TDs Pearse Doherty and Charles Ward.
Little Angels is the only school in Co Donegal catering for children aged between three and 18 years old with profound and severe learning disabilities. It had 133 pupils enrolled in September 2024.
Nine families came together to campaign for their children, and they said there may be more families in a similar situation. They recently met Donegal TDs and Senators.
Patricia Pearson, from Kilmacreenan, said the fact that Little Angels is oversubscribed is difficult because it is the "only school in Donegal that caters for children with a moderate to severe, profound intellectual disability".
Mrs Pearson said her four-year-old son Ben "needs the support of experienced professionals".
She said Ben is non-verbal and has been diagnosed at the severe end of the autistic spectrum.
"The TDs representing us had a meeting with the Minister of State at the Department of Education Michael Moynihan last week. They are due to meet with him again in a fortnight. We're hoping for a positive update," she said.
"We’re exhausted trying to get our children into school. We’re still hopeful"
Aoife Dorrian, whose four-year-old son Casey has Timothy Syndrome, says he is currently the only child in Ireland that has it.
"Unfortunately, Casey has a developmental delay. He's hypertonic in state. He's clearly developmentally behind and he's at the stage of a nine-month, ten-month-old.
"He’s not walking and he's non-verbal. He needs to attend Little Angels because he needs a specialised class.
"I suppose having a child with disabilities is always a fight, but I didn't think we'd have to fight to get him into school.
"As a group of parents, I suppose we're exhausted, but we remain hopeful," she said.
Caolinn Cassidy from Gaoth Dobhair says her son is in an autism unit within a mainstream school.
Following recent assessments, therapists have recommended that her son attend Little Angels School in Letterkenny.
Ms Cassidy said: "When you know that he needs a space in Little Angels, and that you think it's not going to happen, it's devastating".
"It seems we're fighting so hard"
"[The] last thing you want….is to see your son unhappy," Ms Cassidy added.
Michelle Curley from Rathmullan said the situation is "a constant battle".
Mrs Curley’s daughter Saoirse is non-verbal and autistic. She said Saoirse’s psychological report stated that Little Angels is the only school suitable for her daughter’s needs.
"It seems we're fighting so hard. It's just a constant battle. We would love an update.
"The only outcome I can see is they have to give funding for additional classrooms or
additional resources for September," she said.
Mr Doherty said in the Dáil recently that the lack of special school places in Donegal was a full-blown crisis and questioned why sufficient additional capacity was not provided for in a new building.
He added that Little Angels is a fantastic school but the situation is not fair on the staff, the principal or the board of management as the school is too small.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "There are a number of potential solutions. These are being worked through with the school, and the National Council for Special Education with the support of the Department".
They added: "The Department and the NCSE will continue to work with Little Angels Special School and the relevant parents to ensure that there is an appropriate solution put in place".
Patricia Pearson said they have offered solutions to the officials.
"We have suggested maybe utilising two rooms in the old school building, or there's modular buildings at the old school building, which is only like a one-minute walk away from the new build that they could utilise.
"Or there's new modulars to the front of it that could be transported to the site of the new school. We thought they would be the easiest solutions and most cost-effective at the minute," she said.
The Department of Education spokesperson said the requirement for places in special schools increased significantly in recent years.
They said this is reflected in the increasing enrolment of Little Angel’s Special School in Letterkenny since the new school building received its statutory approvals.
The National Council for Special Education advised that it remains available to offer advice and support to the parents seeking enrolment for their child in Little Angel’s Special School.
A project to provide a new school building for Little Angels Special School is under construction and due to be completed shortly.
The NCSE and the Department of Education are engaging with the school to support its move to the new school building and ensure that all the pupils can be appropriately facilitated.
What about future demand nationally?
Parents are campaigning for additional spaces in special schools nationwide. Several TDs from a range of constituencies raised issues regarding a lack of special school places in the Dáil last week.
The Department of Education said that both it and NCSE continue to plan for future special school accommodation needs across the country, including in Donegal.
Some 400 new special classes were provided for in Budget 2025 and 218 of these classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year.
The Department spokesperson said: "The NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further special education placements.
They added: "Ministers McEntee and Moynihan have also instructed the NCSE to identify the needs for the 2026/27 school year".
There are approximately 80 building projects at special schools at various stages of planning and delivery that will provide almost 750 additional and replacement classrooms.
Construction is currently under way at 15 schools, including new buildings for existing special schools in areas such as Mullingar, Stillorgan, Galway City, Portlaoise, Newbridge, Letterkenny and Loughlinstown.
The Department of Education spokesperson added: "The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to achieve this objective."
Comments